Jana Says

Living life from cover to cover

Emmy lessons

by Jana 5 Comments

Last week was Confessions Week here at Daily Money Shot. There was one confession I didn’t make but I’m going to make now: I watch TV.

It’s because I watch TV that I find the Emmys so fascinating. I don’t care about what they’re wearing or who they’re dates are. I actually care about who’s nominated and who wins because, honestly, I like to see actors and shows I enjoy win. Call it competition, call it validation, call it crazy. It really makes me happy to see Jim Parsons (Sheldon on The Big Bang Theory) and Melissa McCarthy (Molly on Mike and Molly) and, most importantly, Kyle Chandler (Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights), win Emmys.

But now that I write about personal finance, I see things through a different lens. Last night, as I was watching the show (and freaking out that Kyle Chandler won because I? Have a huge crush on him), I realized that there are some lessons we can all learn from the Emmys (and no, it’s not that double stick tape and Spanx are amazing although I probably should look in to one or both). So here’s my Emmy recap, served with a twist of life lessons:

  • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart (thank you, Craig Kilborn, for leaving. You were good on Sports Center. Check into that again) won again. For the 9th year in a row. I’m not saying the show isn’t amazing and doesn’t deserve it but The Colbert Report and Late Night with Jimmy Fallon are just as awesome in their own right. Why didn’t they win? Lesson #1: In life, sometimes, no matter how hard you work, someone else will be more successful. It sucks but it’s true. But don’t let that person’s success derail your work ethic or debt pay down schedule. Keep working as hard as you possibly can because one day, you’ll get there too…
  • …just like Kyle Chandler did. I was apprehensive at first, to watch a show about football, but FNL did not suck at all. It never got the recognition I felt it deserved but it just kept on going in its quest to be the world’s most perfect show, which illustrates Lesson #2: Even if no one is paying attention, do the absolute best that you can. You  can’t live your life for an audience. Do what makes you happy and never, ever compromise yourself or your standards. Do your best work when you think no one is going to look at it. This applies to your job, your finances, your health, your marriage–everything. You are the one that sets your standards; make them as high as you can and strive to meet those standards…
  • …but know that ‘s OK to fail sometimes. Look at Charlie Sheen. That is a fail of epic proportions. Last night, though, he went on the show to present an award and, in what I’m sure was a very well planned and well timed speech, attempted to mend some fences. Lesson #3: Don’t be afraid to admit your mistakes. No matter how big or how much we screw up, the first step to moving on from our mistakes is admitting that we make them. You can’t get out of debt without first admitting that you screwed up your spending.You can’t start catching up on saving for retirement until you admit that you didn’t do it properly in the first place. Admitting your mistakes makes them real and it’s only in that reality can we begin to move on from them. And after you admit your mistake, make sure you find a safe place to fall with people who will catch you…
  • …and have no problem standing up there with you while you do what you need to do. Did you see the mock pageant arranged by the women nominated for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy? Absolutely priceless. But it brings up an important point. Lesson #4: Surround yourself with friends who are in the same position and build a support network. If you’re in debt, it’s good to have people around you to support you. Talk to others who have been there or are going through the same and know what you’re going through. Don’t do it alone. Make sure those who you’ve surrounded yourself lift you up and don’t bring you down, financially, emotionally or spiritually. Enjoy the lighter moments…
  • …even the ones that seem absurd. If you didn’t watch the show, there were some really funny moments. Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon wrestling. Lonely Island performing 3 of their songs including Captain Jack Sparrow (which is? Awesome!!!). Jane Lynch’s comment about balancing her checkbook. These were all great moments and demonstrated Lesson #5: Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have fun no matter what situation you’re in. If you’re paying off debt, take $1 or $2 and get a Redbox movie. Play a game with your friends or family. Take a walk. Laugh. A lot. If you’re out of debt and financially solvent, take that trip you’ve been planning and can finally afford. Laugh at yourself and your mistakes and learn from them at the same time. Because life? Only happens once.
Who knew that watching an awards show could be so enlightening? It was almost as enlightening as the Swanson Pyramid of Greatness…

Money Tune Tuesday: Sell Out

by Jana 9 Comments

Confession #2: I’m for sale. Not in a prostitution sort of way but in a “hey, I love how you write and think you’re amazingly creative and want to hire you to write articles and books, fiction or nonfiction. I’ll even pay you” sort of way. This leads me to confession #2 1/2: I’m jealous of people who get paid to write.

I know that jealousy is a wasted emotion and that anyone who gets paid to write is a) deserving of it; b) talented and creative; c) smart; d) hardworking and; e) ambitious. Since I one day hope to join those ranks (as it’s been my lifelong dream), I use those paid writers as motivation and inspiration to get to where I want to be which is a wage earning writer (my current #1 inspiration is Jen Lancaster. I. Love. Her.). I can’t even say that it would take a tremendous amount of money for me to sell myself totally but it would take enough. I’m for sale; I’m not completely free (though I would be willing to negotiate for a bargain price).

But when you put yourself up for sale you need to be careful of those who want to take advantage and exploit you. You need to be careful about who you sell yourself to. You need to be careful to protect yourself, your family and your finances. You need to be a little bit picky, no matter how anxious you are to get paid. And you have to be careful to not…Sell Out. Which is today’s money tune.

I heard this song (by Reel Big Fish) on the radio last week and remembered just how great it is. Check it out for yourself:

Would you ever sell out? What would it take?

Dear Netflix: A break-up letter

by Jana 10 Comments

Dear Netflix,

I never thought I’d have to write this letter but the time has come. I’m breaking up with you. Don’t worry, though. It’s you, not me.

At first I was willing to deal with your price increase betrayal. I accepted that the days of cheap entertainment were over because with your vast library, not to mention your convenience, you were still less expensive than going to the movies and, given my propensity towards forgetfulness, I could return the movies when I remembered (which is not often, I admit). Not to mention the streaming library was perfect for lazy and forgetful chicks like me. And you also know how much I love a cheap date.

But then things started to go sour. Movies started to have a “short wait”. I realized that not every movie I had selected for Blu-Ray was now not always available in Blu-Ray. After that, the amount of movies available started to decrease. OK, OK, I understand that I don’t always pick the most popular movies or movies that more than 9 people have ever seen but that was part of your allure! I could find those movies and not have to suffer the shame of renting them from a video store (remember those? Those bastions of entertainment that you helped go the way of the dinosaur and Frankenberry cereal?). What kept me around was the Starz library and sometimes, if I was lucky, I could find a popular movie on streaming. I also enjoyed that fact that, when I finally get my iPhone, I could watch a streaming movie and my daughter could still watch one of hers on the Blu-Ray player.

Now that’s all going away. Netflix, what is the matter with you? Can’t you see that you no longer have a monopoly  on cheap movie rentals? Hulu, Redbox, Amazon, even iTunes…they’re all encroaching on what you created. And they’re doing a better job! Instead of fighting for it, you’re rolling over and taking it. That doesn’t sound like someone who wants to be in a good, healthy relationship. That sounds like someone who deosn’t care. I want to be with someone who fights and cares and provides me with what I need when I hand over my money.

Please realize we’ll still be friends. I’m not getting rid of the streaming service. That I like. It’s a reasonable price, it’s convenient and it has numerous Care Bears movies which makes my daughter extremely happy (not to mention, it gives me the chance to make dinner in peace). But as far as the other movies? Well, I’m just going to have to take my business elsewhere. Once I watch the Millennium Trilogy in Swedish.

Thanks for the memories, Netflix. We’ll always have Inception.

Money Tune Tuesday: Hate My Life

by Jana 6 Comments

About 9 months ago, I finally decided that I had had it with my job. I was working for an absolute monster, the work was boring and tedious, my co-workers were pretty awful and the gray, fluorescent, windowless office I resided in was just not cutting it anymore. I realized at that point that nothing was going to get better unless I started making some changes in myself and in my situation. So I did. The soundtrack to that part of my life was Sick Puppies “Maybe”. Prior to that, the soundtrack to my life was Theory of a Deadman’s “Hate My Life”, which is today’s money tune. Here is it:

I love every single verse in this song. It is the most upbeat, melodious, angst filled song I’ve ever heard. It’s just so appropriate in so many circumstances. And I love how many verses are about money!

I also love that I’ll have this song in my head for the next week. I suppose it’s better than the Care Bears.

Money Shuffle: Labor Day Edition

by Jana Leave a Comment

Hi, and welcome to another edition of Money Shuffle (you can view the first edition if you’d like)! This time, in honor of the Labor Day holiday, all financial stories will be related to a work experience I’ve had.

As always, the rules are the same: set my iPod to shuffle and note the first 5 songs, regardless of how much I may actually like that song, then relate a financial story to that song’s title but not necessarily the subject matter.

Let’s get ready to shuffle!

Song #1: The Boys of Summer by the Ataris–this is actually a really good cover of the Don  Henley song. It reminds me of all my summer jobs as a camp counselor. I’ve worked at day camps and sleep-away camps and I loved each and every one of those jobs for various reasons. The pay was low (really low), the tips were good (really good) and the experiences were incredible.

Song #2: A-Hole by Bowling for Soup–easiest song to relate to work, hands down. I spent 3 years working for the most heartless, soulless bitch on Earth. She stole my ideas, plagiarized my work, and made me feel worthless and incompetent at every turn. The only good part of this job was the raise that came with it. Lesson learned here? I will never again compromise my self-respect for a paycheck.

Song #3: One for the Razorbacks by Green Day–talk about a song I had no idea was even on my iPod! This one hurt my brain as I’ve never had a job involving pigs or Arkansas. So I thought and thought and thought and I came up with…nothing. I’ve got nothing on this one. Deduct 100 Schrute bucks from my total.

Song #4: Burn It to the Ground by Nickelback–I know I may lose some point with a few of you for having a Nickelback song on my iPod but any song that has the phrase “batshit crazy” is OK with me. I’ve never worked in food service nor have I ever had a job that dealt at all with fire. However, I did spend one semester working at a Hollywood Video and I frequently wanted to set the place on fire. You know that scene in Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle where they’re at the drive thru and the worker starts screaming “Let’s burn this motherfucker down!” That’s how I felt during every single shift.

Song #5: Count on Me by Default–I absolutely love this song. It doesn’t necessarily remind me of a paying job that I have. It reminds me of my most important job–being a mom. Everything I do, every decision I make is for my daughter. I need be there for her no matter what because when everyone and everything else may seem like it’s failing her, she can count on me to help her through it.

That’s for playing this edition of Money Shuffle! I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I’ve enjoyed writing. And remember to spay and neuter your pets!

If you’re also playing Money Shuffle, post a comment or leave your link in the comments section.

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